Another look at Naruto's training, and Jiriaya lets her in on a little secret after deciding she must already have the basic idea. Though it might be handy, even though I usually groan when people write this training secret coming out early. They just don't do it in a good way, I think. most people, anyway. Up to you to decide of my way(s) are any better.
Also, Naruto has a few run-ins with other characters she's been known to hang out with, and someone tracks her down...GUESS WHO! :D
Read and enjoy!
notice-ff style, disclaimer no jutsu!
"Again!"
*Poof*
"Again!"
*Poof*
"ARG! WHY CAN'T I GET THIS?" Naruto scratched her head furiously as she tried to work out her frustrations at once again failing to properly summon a toad. It had been several days since their last sojourn into the village and though Naruto had tried valiantly to get proper control of her chakra in order to focus it and summon a toad, nothing was working. Jiriaya had been sitting on a rock watching her for the last several minutes as she went through her last several attempts. He had been like that ever since he watched her summoning clones to drain her own chakra and get more immediate access to the kyuubi's vast stores of chakra.
"Hey Naruto, come over and take a breather. You've worked hard enough for one morning." Naruto sent him a glare for interrupting her.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I don't quit till I've got it right," she declared, trying, and failing, once again to summon a toad. "AAAHHHH! I bet snakes would be MUCH easier to summon than these stupid toads!"
"Hey now, these are toads we're talking about. They're much more useful than snakes are; you just have to get them to come to you, first."
"More useful? How, huh? They won't come to me right now, they smell, they give you warts, and snakes EAT toads!" Jiriaya laughed.
"Oh, that'd be a good one, haha! I'd like to see Manda try to eat Gamabunta, heheheh!" Naruto paused to look at her godfather in confusion.
"Manda? Gamabunta?"
"Oh, those are the boss summons for the snake and toad contracts. Gamabunta's actually a bit bigger than Manda is; not to mention he actually has a weapon and used ninjutsu all the time."
"What? He can use ninjutsu?"
"Yeah, of course. After all, toads have hands. They can make handsigns. Snakes are a bit more…limited, we'll say, as I'm sure you've noticed. Besides," he said, shrugging, "toads are a summons for fighting mostly. Snakes, while they have their uses in a fight, are more for stealth and messages. Which one do you really think would fit you better?" Naruto screwed her face up.
"Fine, I guess you're right. I still think they're gross, though." He waved a hand at her.
"Oh I'm sure you'll change your mind once you meet them. Come on over, though. I've got a few thoughts for your training, but it will be easier to think if you take a few seconds to rest." Naruto blew some of her hair out of her eyes.
"Fine, I'll take a short break," she said, plopping herself down on the grass next to Jiriaya's rock. Staring up at the sky she started wondering what Sasuke was doing. While relatively compliant to her desire to go to the village, Jiriaya had told her that she needed to stay away from Sasuke for the moment if for no other reason than to keep Gaara off their tracks. She was missing her boyfriend terribly, and each cloud was starting to resemble his duck-butt hair.
"You really seem to like using those shadow clones." Naruto raised an eyebrow in the old man's direction. "Why?" The girl shrugged.
"Why not? Instead of one of me, all of a sudden I have, like, a hundred mes. Even Kakashi sensei almost went down for that one…the teme did, too," she muttered.
"Yes, Mizuki. Of course, he was only a chuunin, and your class is relatively gifted compared to the average graduating class."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but that's not the important part. Back to the shadow clones, why do you say they're like, quote, 'a hundred mes'?"
"What's a quote?" Jiriaya stared at her for a moment before face-palming himself.
"'What's a quite,'" he muttered. "To 'quote' is to use someone's own words, like just now I used your words to ask a question."
"Huh?" Patience, must use patience. I was kinda dumb at that age, too.
"If you say something I don't understand, I repeat it and ask you to explain it." Naruto continued to look at him blankly. Oh my gosh; she can't be THAT dense. He opened his mouth to try again when another voice spoke up.
"It's like if blue and red. If blue wants to use red for something, he takes a piece of red. If he wants to know about red, he takes a piece of red and asks red about it." Jiriaya looked at the newly appeared women is surprise.. Her explanation made no sense.
"What the heck-"
"Oh! NOW I get it!" Jiriaya fell over.
"What? After all those clear explanations she gives you the biggest crap of bull and now you think you understand?"
"Well, maybe the 'biggest crap of bull' isn't as big as you think," Naruto said. "Quote."
…
…
"How did you know that would work?" Anko rolled her eyes.
"Please, I've known Naruto for years, unlike some people. I know how her minds works better than anyone."
"Uh huh. Well, thank-you for that, but you should go."
"What? But I haven't seen Anko nee-chan in two weeks!"
"It's not safe! If that kid is tracking her then he might already be on his way here!"
"Well you can hide me! Why not her?"
"Because, Gaki, it spreads my concentration too thin! Do you have any idea how hard it is just to include you in this jutsu all the time without stopping?"
"Doesn't look like it's too hard. After all, I heard some girls in town talking about being perved on at the river spot."
"Hmmm… I was wondering how you found us. Guess someone like you would manage to think that up. Still, that kid Gaara could have tailed you."
"Pft, as if. The brats only a genin; he doesn't stand a chance trying to follow someone like me." Jiriaya raised an eyebrow.
"No? Not even with the power of the Ichibi?"
"…What?"
"That kid's a jinchuuriki, just like Naruto, only he isn't always in control, so I've heard." Anko's face paled. A considerable feat.
"Is, is that why he thinks she's his…"
"It's possible."
"But then, why-"
"Hey, still here! You guys want to stop ignoring me?" Both adults looked back over to the girl, now standing in a stance that was very familiar to Jiriaya. It was Kushina's 'I'm ticked at you' stance.
"Uhh, sorry, Naruto. Like I said, it's hard to concentrate," he said, glad for the excuse. "That's another reason it's better for us to stay alone. The more people around, the more talking and distractions," he said.
"Oh yeah? Well, I believe it was me that got Naruto to understand what a 'quote' was, wasn't it?"
"Perhaps, but now I have a good idea how do it. And I already said that Gaara could have tracked you. Regardless of wether or not I ended up including you in my jutsu, I'll have to find a new spot to train Naruto at, and this was a really good one."
"Yeah, thanks to the springs."
"Yes, actually. Naruto, tell her what you've been working on for the last two weeks."
"Umm…I've been doing chakra control and toad summoning."
"DARN IT! I knew you were going to do that! Naruto's supposed to be next snake summoner, not a toad summoner!"
"And do what? Fight with them? I worked with your sensei for years, Anko, and I know they're capabilities in a straight fight. They don't fit Naruto and you know it." He softened his voice. "I know you love Naruto, and I'm grateful you've done so well looking for her over the years, but Naruto isn't suited for snakes, and that's something I'm sure you've known for a long time. Of course, if Naruto does want to sign the snake contract eventually, that's her choice and I won't stop her, but for now it's better that she train in a style that's more suited for her." Anko glared at him for a moment before looking down.
"Hai, sannin-san." She fought back the tears. It was true; in the back of her mind she had known Naruto would be better off going a different way, but she had hoped…he thoughts were paused as she felt a small pair of arms encircle her. "Naruto?"
"Anko nee-chan, pervy sage is right about the summons, but that doesn't mean I like them better than you. You're my sister, right? I'll always love you, more than anything but ramen. You've been there for me like no one else." She frowned. "And pervy sage is also probably right about Gaara. It…it might be better to just avoid each other for the next two weeks before the exam. I'll be okay, I promise. The old man will make sure." Anko sighed.
"Alright, fine." She glared at the toad sage. "If she gets one scratch on her-"
"Ninja," he interjected. Anko growled.
"If she gets one serious injury under your watch, I'll remove your reason for perving." Jiriaya smiled and gave her a thumbs up with trying not to gulp down the sudden lump in his throat or show any other sign that he was scared. Anko knelt down gave Naruto a full on hug.
"Alright, you take care with the old perv, k? I expect you to kick some serious butt in the finals." Naruto grinned.
"You got it nee-chan!"
"Alright; bye." She left with that, though a few seconds later Jiriaya spoke up again.
"Make a shadow clone."
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, a shadow clone is the same as you, and this one won't be under cover of my jutsu once it leaves this clearing. If Gaara did follow her, we can make it look like you left, and you can spend some time with Anko until we're sure he isn't here anymore."
"Oh…oh! That's cool! I like it! Shadow clone jutsu!" A second Naruto poofed into existence. "Alright, you know the deal; catch up with nee-chan and do your job!"
"Right boss!" The clone took off. Maybe this will get her to see my point I was trying to make. After all, it's a little off the wall, and probably the first time she's really been separated from a clone.
"Okay, back to work! You're control obviously isn't good enough yet, so back to working on that leaf!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Meanwhile, Gaara looked up suddenly from where he was concentrating.
"There!"
.
.
.
"That creep is okay, I guess," the purple haired special Jounin muttered.
"Yeah, he is," Naruto's clone replied. "He's been a great teacher, even if he is a born ol' perv…and he knew my parents really good…" As Anko peered at the clone she noticed the pensive and far away look in her eyes. She almost seemed to have a familial bond with her new teacher. Anko wasn't sure if that was a good thing at all.
"Well, I've got to get busy, I suppose, and Iruka-kun will want to know about your training."
"Oh yeah, how is that going?" Anko blushed, looking around.
"Well, I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but since you're a clone I guess it's okay; Iruka kun's taking me to a special dinner next week, and he has a surprise for me, but he won't say what it is." The clone's eyes bugged out.
"WHAT? But, well I guess…but is it really that, do you think?"
"Maybe. I kind of hope it is." Naruto smiled.
"You really do love him, just like you said, don't you?" Anko moved to bop the clone on the head before remembering how easily a clone could dispel.
"I owe Naruto a bump on the head for that one."
"Hey, leave boss outta this!"
"Well, Naruto-chan would have said it, too," Anko pointed out, "but yes, I do. I might actually be happy if he's planning what I think he is."
"Yeah, boss will be happy, too. Then she can start calling him nii-san instead of sensei?" Anko groaned as clone Naruto sported a large grin.
"Whatever, you little brat. Now go on, off with you. Make an appearance for that Gaara kid, and don't you DARE spill what I told you!"
"Of course!" With that clone Naruto bounded off in search of Naruto's friends. At least they could all know that Naruto was still doing fine. Anko shook her head at the perfect Naruto styled antics and walked towards her apartment. She had never been terribly girly, but in anticipation of her night out with Iruka, she'd rather taken a fancy to planning things…
.
.
.
The first sight clone Naruto came across made her trip so hard she almost dispelled herself. Sitting in an open restaurant was Haku, with the boy Dosu from the sound village of all things. Boss likes Kin alright, but this guys said he was going to kill Sasuke-kun. What are they up to? She hid behind a small tree as she spied on them, slowly moving it closer to try and hear what they were saying.
"…and that's how Zaku managed to give himself a buzz cut." Haku giggled.
"I suppose he should more careful when experimenting with new jutsu. Have you ever had a jutsu accident yourself?" Dosu pointed to the bandages still covering most of his face.
"My eye is a little sensitive to light these days, but I could get back alright if I had to. That happened the first time I tried to use my gauntlet. It is a very difficult piece of equipment to use."
"How did you master it?" Dosu looked very odd with a smile, Naruto decided.
"Ah, if I tell you, you'll tell your friend, and then where will I be for the finals? Not that she's likely to make it past the first round." Haku frowned as she stirred her drink.
"I think you'll find that Naruto is full of surprises," she said, finally. Dosu raised an eyebrow. "Ah, if I tell you, you'll use that information against her in the finals," she said, using the same teasing tone that Dosu had a moment ago.
"He sounds weird when he chuckles, too."
"Yeah, tell me about it." Naruto jumped.
"Kin! What are you doing here?"
"Trying to figure out what Dosu's been up to; looks like we have our answer."
"…looks like he's having lunch with Haku-chan. What does it look like to you?"
"It looks to me like they have a conflict of interests." Naruto stared until Kin continued. "Dosu refuses to tell us what he's planning, so I'm betting he's trying to get close to and Sasuke so he can decide what he wants to do, and Haku is trying to be your guardian angel, getting him to gently loosen up and be more free with any information he knows." She snorted. "Dosu doesn't know any more about Orochimaru's plans than I do." She stood up. "Well, it's good to see you again, Naruto, but I've got to go now. I used up my whole lunch trying to track down Dosu and I have a training appointment."
"Really? Anyone I know?" Kin grinned slyly.
"Kankuro, actually."
"What?"
"Shhh!" Kin pulled Naruto down as Haku looked around in confusion. She could have sworn she'd heard Naruto's voice.
"Haku? You alright?" She shook her head.
"Sorry; just thought I heard something." Dosu shrugged as he motioned for a nearby waiter and ordered desert for Haku.
"Sorry," Kin muttered as Naruto rubbed her head where the hair was Kin had grabbed to pull her down. "I didn't think you'd like her know you were spying on her."
"I suppose not, but that still doesn't explain what you're doing with Kankuro."
"…did I tell you what he told me when I first met him?"
"No. Do I care?"
"It was right after you offered me your friendship. He told me that if I ever did anything to hurt you, he'd come after me himself and punish me." Naruto looked at her oddly.
"That doesn't make any sense. Then again, as mean as he was to that one guy-"
"Oh, he also gave me a half truth as to why they did that."
"Really?" Kin nodded.
"Filtering out the garbage, someone keeps an eye on them and they want to look like they're mean in the general public, but they don't want to be."
"What?"
"If they don't act a certain way in certain places, they get spied on and can't have a private life. I think that that's true, but I don't know who they're doing it for, or why."
"…that still didn't make it right."
"Naruto, if you knew half the things I've done, working for Orochimaru, I don't think you'd want to be my friend. I don't trust them either, really, but we're shinobi. Sometimes we do things we don't like or didn't mean to, but even we can change, can't we?" Naruto huffed.
"You make me feel really guilty about this, you know?"
"Of course! Friends are the best at giving guilt trips, next to mothers." Naruto stiffened slightly. "Oh, right. I forgot you were an orphan, too."
"Only sort of," Naruto said. "Jii-san adopted me right after my parents died, and this headband on my pouch was my moms. It just…hurts to think of parents sometimes…" Her mind turned back to the few short memories she had of Sarutobi's son and daughter in law, Konohamaru's parents…the couple that had been raising her as their own until their deaths. It was the closest thing she'd ever had to a real family, and to be reminded that she'd lost two sets of parents…hurt more than it did most orphans.
"Still, I'm sorry." The stood in silence for a moment. "Well, I need to meet Kankuro. I'm trying to figure him out, and what they're really after about you. I think he does care, but the story about being siblings seems bull. I'll let you know if I found out anything next time I see you."
"Okay. Thanks, Kin. You're a good friend." Kin smiled softly.
"Thank-you, Naruto, but you're a much better one than you realize." As Kin walked away Naruto spared one more glace at Haku and Dosu before leaving as discreetly as possible. Dosu smirked as he saw her walk away. Haku closed her eyes and wished her friend well.
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.
Clone Naruto had been wandering around for some time now. She'd had minor meet and greets with several people she knew. Fortunatly none of them had been Ino. She wasn't sure she wanted to face the other blonde's wailing at the loss of her 'Sasuke-kun'. She had frowned, though, as several people seemed to give her more respect than they used to. She was trying to decide if it was because of how well she was doing as a shinobi, or if it was because of her now open relationship with the last Uchiha. She was hoping the former. The later was just annoying. Before Clone Naruto was able to continue her thoughts, she felt a familiar presence and sighed.
"I thought you'd find me, eventually." A boy stepped out from the shadows.
"Nee-chan, you've been hiding from me."
"Yeah, and me, too!"
"Where you been boss?" Naruto turned around to face…the Konohamaru corps.
"Sorry guys, I've been busy, but I'm glad I found you, squirt. We haven't spent much time together lately." Konohamaru crossed his arms and pouted.
"Nee-chan, you promised you'd play with us when the exam was over; it's been over for two weeks now and I haven't even seen you! And jii-san says you ran off to get training with some other old guy. What gives?" Naruto knelt down, gently rubbing the boy on his head.
"Ah, Konohamaru, don't be like that! I'm getting training from a sannin for the last part of the chuunin exams. Didn't you remember there are three parts, not two? The exam's going to be in another two weeks, and then I can play, just like I promised."
"Wow, you're getting training by a sannin," Moegi said with stars in her eyes. "Boss really is the greatest! Is it Tsunade?" Naruto shook her head.
"Moegi, Konohamaru said it was an old guy, remember," Udon said, wiping his continually dripping nose. "It would have to be Jiriaya, the toad sage." Moegi's stars disappeared.
"Eeeew, why does he have a name like that."
"Um, well…he summons toads," Naruto said, "and he's teaching me how to do that, too."
"Gross!" Moegi said.
"Cool!" Was the two boys' reply.
"Foolish." Four heads whipped around to see a short red haired child standing on the room of the building they were next to.
"Gaara…" The sand genin jumped down.
"Naruto, you've been hiding long enough. I'm not letting you out of my sight again. You're making mother angry by always running away."
"Well I don't care," clone Naruto said as she stuck her tounge out and pulled an eye down. "So there!" Gaara's sand began to stir, swirling around the girl.
"Ahh! Boss, what's going on?"
"Nee-chan, what's he doing?" Naruto waved a hand to calm the three academy students down.
"Don't worry guys; Gaara can't do anything to me." He raised an eye.
"Oh? You believe that, despite me showing otherwise I am unable to capture you and return to your true home." Clone Naruto grinned.
"Of course not; I've been being sneaky my whole life. It's no problem to avoid you." She lifted a hand, waving at him. "Konohamaru, I'll see you after the exams. Gaara…see ya, sucker!" With that she poofed away, even as Gaara tried to get a firm grip on her with his sand. His face twitched in anger and frustration.
"Wow, boss can do that? We have to learn it! Come on Kono-kun, Udon-kun, let's find her again!" Moegi grabbed her friends and began dragging them after her as her Kunoichi inspiration disappeared, leaving Gaara to stand there, clenching and unclenching his fist.
"Soon," he said, "soon you will be out of tricks, and then, when you have nowhere to run, I'll catch you, and then you'll never get away again."
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.
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"Come one, why can't I try a summon again! You've been making me do these exercises all day!"
"Calm down, gaki. There's something important about shadow clones you need to learn so until…err, I mean, the leaf exercise is really important," he finished loudly, trying to cover his mistake. Naruto eyed him suspiciously.
"You said 'shadow clones.' How am I supposed to be learning about shadow clones when all I do is this stupid leaf exercise!" Jiriaya tried to gesture in a calming manner.
"Hey, calm down. I promise, it'll pay off, and once you figure out the…other thing, it will make this leaf exercise a whole lot easier!"
"How can shadow clones make it easier? I mean, it's not like I can…have them do it…at the same…time…." Naruto's eyes glazed over for a short moment as he mouth slowly formed an 'o' of surprise, then she grinned. "Iruka-sensei's proposing to Anko nee-chan? Sweet! … oh crap, I'm not supposed to tell anyone." Naruto began to panic. "You can't tell her I said that! She said no one else is supposed to know! I'm not even supposed to know since she thought my clone wouldn't remember!" The old man laughed.
"Of course I won't tell; wouldn't do me much good to have a dead granddaughter now, would it?" Naruto gave a shaky grin and settled down.
"Th, th, thanks," she said. "Whew! I think I'll be okay now." Jiriaya let her settle down and sort through the clone's memories. "So…since I can remember what my clones do, and you were saying shadow clones make the leaf exercise easier…what does it do? I mean, if all I can do is remember that doesn't so me much good. It'll just be me trying to do the exercise several times over. What's the secret you wanted me to figure out?"
"Ah, well, it is the remembering thing, but I guess your clone didn't use any jutsu while it was gone." He held up a finger as he went into explanation mode. "You see, Naruto, there are several types of memory. The main one you do naturally, remembering what you see and hear, right?" Naruto nodded.
"And Iruka sensei talked about 'muscle memory.'" Jiriaya smiled. So she wasn't a complete dim bulb. He had started to wonder, just a little.
"Right. Just like how you have those two memories, you have 'chakra' memory.' If you get used to doing a jutsu, it becomes easier and easier to do again. This makes it take less effort and chakra to do it. This is also how you gain greater control of your chakra." He pointed at her. "Most people can't do that much with clones because of their small reserves. You, however, have so much you make clones like most people breath. Also, most people are too structured in their thought process. You, however, are always taking things from a different point of view than other people, and multiple points of view at the same time. What you're going to do wouldn't work for most people, even if they did have your reserves, simply because they are too structured."
"…so you're saying I'm a hyperactive knucklehead?" Jiriaya winced.
"That comes close, but it was a little more complimentary than that."
"Unpredictable as well?"
"…that actually pretty well sums it up, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
"I see…well, due to that 'unpredictability,' you can have several clones all working on the same problem, or exercise, and they will all try different angles. When they are dispelled you'll gain all their memories of their mental experience for trying the task, and their chakra experience, too. Then you start off on your own with more control than you would have had, and the summation…culmination…and all of their thoughts on how to do it as well. With this, you can see what worked best in all of them and combine them." Naruto's eyes had been slowly widening and brightening.
"All right! I'll have the best chakra control you've ever seen in no time! Shadow clone jutsu!" A few dozen clones all appeared, quickly grabbing leaves and staring the exercise. Jiriaya smiled. Well, she may be a little slow on some things, but she definitely gets the points for enthusiasm. She'll get this in no time. He glanced over his shoulder towards the river. Aaaaah, between Anko and Naruto there's no chance of any girls being over their right now anyway. Guess I should just start writing the next chapter and revise it when I have a chance to get more inspiration later. He turned back to observing the Narutos, giving small hints of advice now and then to individuals as the day wore on. She should be able to get the summoning right soon.
Okay, so that's what happens here. Naruto gets an early update, kind of like you guys. :) I'm happy to say that my writing is going fairly quickly as I approach the end of the story. It feels weird to say it, but after all the guesses I've had in the past about how long this story will be, i'm finally in the home stretch. Talking about it with my Hime, I think i've got under 10 chapters to go before the story is completed. *shakes head* Weird.
Well, I think this was a decent chapter. What do you guys think? LEAVE A REVIEW! PLEEEEEASE! :)
As always, thank-you for reading. Take care everyone!
ps-
I know there are a few spelling mistakes. I took note of them before, but I didn't fix them at the time, and now i can't find them. SORRY!
pps-
love you hime. :3